Enchanted April
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Movie Reviews of Enchanted April
Movie Review: "There's Something About Italy . . ."
Summary: 5 Stars
The beautiful, privileged--and bored--Lady Caroline utters these words as she gradually succumbs to the spell of the enchanted sun-drenched garden of an Italian castello to which she has retreated as a refuge from the tiresome London Season, in which men persistently "grab." She is one of an unlikely quartet of women who have rented the villa, perched on a cliff above the Tyrrhenian Sea, for the month of April. Each of the others has her own reasons for escaping: a repressive marriage, the relentlessly thankless responsibilities of doing good works, and just plain willfulness--all of which are exacerbated by the seemingly endless downpour of London rain. All of their respective problems, however, boil down to an essential loneliness, for which the Ligurian coast of Itlay provides the antidote.
In this high-calibre ensemble cast, Joan Plowright stands out as the sour, embittered bluestocking, Mrs. Fisher, who has staked a claim of having been the confidant of the 19th-century literary illuminati (but not Keats!); her main problem is that they are all dead. Josie Lawrence plays the awkwardly outspoken Lottie, who persuades a slight acquaintance, Rose--a devout woman with a philandering husband--to go halves and answer an advert, which promises wisteria and sunshine. Miranda Richardson, who with her smooth red hair looks as if she belongs in a Pre-Raphaelite painting, endows her character with a tranquil charm, which quite captivates the owner of the villa, Mr. Briggs, a myopic First-World-War veteran. Michael Kitchen is at his most engaging in the role of the solitary man who finds solace in playing the oboe. Polly Walker, who seemingly floats on air, is convincing as the world-weary Lady Caroline.
As the setting works its spell on the women, one almost wishes that they not spoil it by inviting their menfolk (Alfred Molina and Jim Broadbent) to stay; but all that is part of the enchantment, and to say any more would spoil it for you.
"Enchanted April" is not only beautiful to view, but it also has its moments of high comedy, especially in scenes with Plowright, Molina, and Broadbent. And while the film will make one feel awfully good, it is never syrupy. If I have a criticism, it is one of omission. I wanted to see more of the story after the husbands and Mr. Briggs arrived. The film ended too soon. But that flaw merely makes one want to watch "Enchanted April" again.
And again.
Movie Review: Wisteria, Sunshine and Renewal
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on a novel by popular turn of the last-century author, Elizabeth von Arnim, this is a gentle tale of four women and their spring holiday in a charming small castle on the Italian Riviera, a place full of wisteria and sunshine ... and renewal.
Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence) is fussy and down-trodden, married to the overbearing Mellersh (Alfred Molina). Lottie and her friend Rose Arbuthnot (Miranda Richardson) who is just as unhappy in her marriage to Frederick the author of racy novels (Jim Broadbent) who is not above flirting - or even more - with other women. It is drab and rainy, in post-WWI London, and the two women want to get away for a holiday from the rain, their dreary lives and unhappy marriages. And like a miracle, they discover an advertisement for a castle for rent; but to make it work, they must invite two more people to share expenses. They find the elderly widow, Mrs. Fisher - living on memories of better days, when she was not relatively poor, and was friends with many of the literary figures of that day - but not Keats, as she acidly points out to the other ladies. The final member of their quartet is the beautiful socialite, Lady Caroline Dester (Polly Walker), who wants to get away from the exhausting social whirl - but mostly away those men in it.
So this odd and apparently incompatible quartet are off to Italy, and a month-long stay in a picture-perfect mellowed-stone castle, set in a marvelous garden, overlooking the sea - and the remainder of the plot unfolds at a leisurely pace. The castle is as magical as Lottie and Rose had hoped, and over the weeks it works on all of them: Mrs. Fisher's prickly nature mellows, as she becomes a kind of matriarch. Lady Caroline, astonishingly enough, finds love in the form of the castle's eccentric musician owner. Rose and her husband renew their own affections, and Lottie - initially rather pathetic and ineffectual - emerges as a serene and wise presence, at the very heart of this odd and self-selected family. The sense of place and time is impeccable, and the castle itself is almost another character.
This movie is highly recommended for anyone like me, who is sick to death of movies containing car-chases, massive explosions and endless rounds of machine-gun fire.
The only extra included is a commentary by director Mike Newell and producer Ann Scott.
Movie Review: I've been enchanted by it for years
Summary: 5 Stars
I had the great good fortune to see this lovely film in an art house cinema more than 20 years ago. I understand it was originally a television show filmed for BBC. Imagine anything this beautifully shot for U.S. TV- would never happen! There's an old B & W film made from the same source material, a book printed in the early 20th century and before THAT film, it was a hit play in London around the 1930's if I'm not mistaken. Haven't read the original book or seen the play, but the B & W film doesn't hold a candle to Mike Newell's production.
It's impossible not to adore the film: with the brilliant cast, gorgeous backdrop of Portofino beautifully shot and the universal experiences of the characters who are desperate to relax, get away from rigid social rules governing every waking moment, and a dank climate. Slowly, they re-connect with the natural world, re-examine their lives and relationships, forge new ones and sometimes learn to feel & communicate new appreciation for relationships that had already been established but had become taken for granted and stultified. Everyone & everything blossoms in the Italian sunshine.
It seems the writer of the original book upon which this film and the previous one were based struck a chord with her contemporaries when the book was originally published, and it has continued to do so with each new generation. I can't think how anyone could improve upon this particular film and have waited for the DVD version for many years. It is in my very short list of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. It cannot fail to warm your heart.
Anyone here or anywhere else who assisted in any way in getting Enchanted April released onto DVD format so we Yanks can enjoy it has my undying gratitude. I eagerly await the post.
Movie Review: Invitation to the Voyage,
Summary: 5 Stars
"My child, my sister, dream
How sweet all things would seem
Were we in that kind land to live together,
And there love slow and long,
There love and die among
Those scenes that image you, that sumptuous weather."
Charles Baudelaire
Based on the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim, "Enachanted April" can be described in one sentence - it takes place in the early 1920s when four London women, four strangers decide to rent a castle in Italy for the month of April. It is the correct description but it will not prepare you for the fact that "Enchanted April" - an ultimate "feel good" movie is perfection of its genre. Lovely and sunny, tender and peaceful, kind and magical, it is like a ray of sun on your face during springtime when you want to close your eyes and smile and stop this moment of serene happiness and cherish it forever. This is the movie that actually affected my life. I watched it during the difficult times when I was lost, unhappy and very lonely, when I had to deal with the sad and tragic events and to come to terms with some unflattering truth about myself. It helped me to regain my optimism and hope that anything could be changed and anything is possible. I had promised to myself then that no matter what, I would pull myself out of misery and self-pity and I would appreciate every minute of life - with its joy and its sadness...I promised myself that I would go to Italy and later that year I did and I was not alone.
Charming, enchanting, and heartwarming, "Enchanted April" is one of the best movies ever made and my eternal love. This little film is a diamond of highest quality.
Movie Review: Enchanting Beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
I will skip reviewing the plot, since many have already done so. Instead, I will write about how I feel about this amazing film. I remember years ago, when I was in my early 20's working in a video store, a man came in to return the video saying it was the worst film he had ever seen. My jaw dropped, because I was totally entranced by this same film, which I had gone to the movies to see three times when it was out the year before.
Now, at 41, I am still awed by its beauty. Since its release, I have always looked to 'Enchanted April' to take me away. And it always does. The acting is superb (or course, look at the cast!) and the cinematography is gorgeous (OK, so what if they used fake wisteria). To quote from the movie: "This place makes me feel flooded with love." Just replace the word 'place' with 'film' and there you have it.
Made primarily for BBC TV, I am still amazed this film was transferred into enhanced Widescreen. In doing so, we seem to lose a bit of image. A perfect example is when Polly Walker's character bumps into Rose's husband, who just arrived and is climbing the stairs to the castle. In the regular version, we see Polly wearing the typical 1920's strapped shoes. This scene remains on my mind because I remember thinking at the time how tightly (uncomfortably so) strapped around her ankles they were. These are not seen in the widescreen version as they are cut off from the screen. Regardless, this film is flawless and its beauty is sure to remain with you for a long time. So much so that when I go visit my family in Italy later this month, i am driving down to Portofino and will visit Castello Brown, where the film was shot.